Are you good at remembering addresses and phone numbers? How many numbers do you think you can remember? Try this experiment to test your digit span, the maximum number of digits that you can remember.
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Global warming, climate change, melting ice caps—these are all big events that have an impact our environment. What can we do to help reduce the impact? We can reduce, reuse, and recycle. What can cities do to help? Cities can eliminate waste by saving energy. Cities around the world are switching from incandescent traffic signals to LED traffic signals to save energy and money. That's because LEDs are more efficient than incandescent lamps, which means that LEDs produce more light…
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Energy_p003

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Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

Prior experience with using a digital multimeter

Material Availability

Specialty items (see Materials list)

Cost

High ($100 - $150)

Safety

Since this science project deals with electricity, adult supervision is recommended. The LEDs used in this project are used in traffic signals and are very bright. Do not look directly at the LED when it is in operation and be sure to wear your sunglasses. Be sure to wear safety goggles when operating power tools.

Digital cameras can be a great way to learn about photography. Most digital cameras today have LCD screens, so you get instant feedback on your photo. If you make a mistake, no problem, you just delete the picture. It's nice that you don't have to worry about the expense and bother of developing film! This project can help you learn to take better pictures.
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Photo_p014

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Time Required

Average (6-10 days)

Prerequisites

You'll need a digital camera that take pictures in manual mode (a grayscale, or 'black-and-white' mode, is nice to have but not essential). You will need to know how to change the shutter speed, lens aperture, and ISO setting. A tripod for the camera is nice to have, but not absolutely essential. You will also need a computer.

Sunspot activity has been monitored continuously since about 1700. The historical data shows that sunspot activity rises and falls in a roughly 11-year cycle. This project shows you how you can use both graphical and statistical analysis to look for patterns in cyclical data.
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Astro_p017

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Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

Computer with Internet access and a spreadsheet program (e.g., Excel, QuattroPro), previous experience with statistics helpful

Some people have a photographic memory and can memorize anything they see almost instantly! Wouldn't that make homework easy? Other people can remember almost anything they hear. Try this experiment to see which type of memory you have.
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Have you ever looked up at the stars at night and wondered how fast they were moving or how far away they were? By studying how the brightness of a star changes with distance, you can answer those questions. In this astronomy science project, you'll create a model of starlight and use a light meter to discover the key relationship between brightness and distance.
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Comets—big lumps of rock, ice, and frozen gases that orbit the Sun—are among the most amazing
heavenly objects seen in the night sky. The glowing tail behind the comet's nucleus inspires wonder.
But did you know that a comet's tail is evidence that it's melting? As a comet passes by the Sun on
its orbital path, it starts to melt. But do bigger comets melt faster than smaller comets? In this
astronomy science project, you will investigate how the size of the comet affects the…
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You may have read about criminal cases where innocent people have been wrongly convicted of a crime. Sometimes, modern DNA analysis techniques have provided the evidence to exonerate these innocent people. In many cases, mistaken identification by eyewitnesses provided strong evidence for the original conviction. How can prosecutors and defense attorneys make sure that photo lineup procedures used to identify criminal suspects are unbiased? This project shows you how to conduct an objective…
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A tsunami is a series of waves made in a body of water, like the ocean, that can cause serious destruction when they hit the coastline. In deep water, a wave can be just a few feet high and travel very fast. As it nears the coastline, and moves into shallower water, tsunamis usually slow down, but the wave height can grow to 100 feet! In this ocean science project, you will model a tsunami and investigate how wave velocity (speed) depends on water depth. Does it match the mathematical equation…
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OceanSci_p014

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- Less Details

Time Required

Short (2-5 days)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

You will need an extra-long plastic storage box to use as a water tank. Plastic storage boxes that can slide under a bed work very well. See the Materials and Equipment list for details.

Cost

Low ($20 - $50)

Safety

Use caution when working with the lamp and the water tank. Make sure the two are far apart from each other at all times. Adult supervision required.

If you have ever prepared a cup of coffee or tea with sugar, you have probably seen that the grains of sugar quickly dissolve and completely disappear in hot water. But sugar is not the only type of solid that can readily dissolve in a liquid. In fact, there are some types of rocks that can be dissolved by common liquids. It might be hard to imagine large, hard rocks being eaten away by some ordinary fluids, right? But it actually happens all the time! In this geology science project, you will…
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Geo_p047

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- Less Details

Time Required

Long (2-4 weeks)

Prerequisites

None

Material Availability

Small limestone rocks are needed to do this science project. See the Materials and Equipment list for details. Note: The listed time required to do this science project includes shipping time.

You can find this page online at: http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/search.shtml?v=solt&pi=Astro_p016&p=2

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